The Santa Barbara Chapter of the Association of Women in Communication (AWC-SB) will present a provocative panel discussion on Wednesday, February 6, 2008, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm,
at the Maritime Museum at the Harbor (valet parking provided).

Is the sex barrier to political leadership more serious an obstacle than the race barrier? We will discuss the importance of how the media shapes perceptions of women, and how we can impact this. As women who have both influenced and been affected by this process, we are honored to present our two distinguished speakers, Gayle Binion and Susan Rose.

Admission: $20 Members; $30 Guests; $5 students. Media please check in at or prior to event with Nancy Black, nancy@mercurypress.com . Networking with light refreshments will occur for the first half hour.

Prior to the panel, the AWC-SB will showcase The California Woman’s Festival (March 7-9, 2008, at SBCC and Earl Warren Showgrounds). Director Patty De Dominic will briefly talk about the Festival’s unique vision and purpose, the program, and celebrity speakers. De Dominic is the former CEO of PDQ Careers and CEO of Executive Search as well as former National President of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the LA Chamber of Commerce.
The primary speakers include Gayle Binion and Susan Rose.

Gayle Binion, PhD, is a Professor of Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, a specialist in Public Law and previous chair of the Law and Society Program at UC Santa Barbara. Her research interests include civil rights and civil liberties within the US constitutional structure, with special emphasis on the status of women, ethnic minorities and the poor. She is particularly interested in understanding the role of the judiciary in defining and protecting constitutional rights. Her articles have appeared in a wise variety of law reviews and social science journals. She has also published widely in more popular media, including newspapers and magazines.

From 2004 to 2006 Professor Binion served as Director of the University of California Education Abroad Program in London and as Chair of the UC Trust (UK), a non-profit foundation. From 2001 through 2003 Professor Binion served as Vice Chair and Chair of the University-wide Academic Senate, representing UC faculty at the Office of the President and on the Board of Regents. Other notable activities in prior years include hosting a legal affairs radio program, and serving as Executive Director of the ACLU in Southern California.

Susan Rose most recently served two terms as a member of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. Susan has thirty years of experience in the public sector, in education, community service, and business. She has held management positions in city and county government, directed a local non-profit, and served as a Commissioner for the Fair Employment and Housing Commission, California’s civil rights agency.

Susan was a founding member of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee and currently serves on the California Association of Elected Women (CEWAER). She also serves on the California Advisory Board of the Trust for Public Land and the Santa Barbara Advisory Board of Human Rights Watch.

Susan received her BA from Connecticut College and holds two Masters Degrees: an MS in American History from Southern Connecticut State College, and an MPA in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. She is a graduate of the Coro Foundation Public Training Program, and most recently of the Women in Power program at the JFK School of Public Policy at Harvard University.

There will be time for questions from the audience after the presentation. For more information, contact AWC-SB@hotmail.com . For media inquiries, contact Nancy Black (569-1559, or nancy@mercurypress.com).